Know the Rules to Reap Benefits of Audiology Assistants
Published on Sun Sep 01, 2002
Although audiology technicians may assist audiologists in audiologic and vestibular function tests, you must understand the aides' role and applicable guidelines or risk improper reporting. What Techs Do "Technicians perform audiograms [92552-92557], electronystagmograms [92541-92545], and can make swim molds [99070]," says Janet Agemian, administrator, Professional Otolaryngology Assoc., MDPA, Voorhees, N.J. In addition, assistants may also perform tympanometry (92567) and duties involving hearing aids, such as hearing aid examinations (92590-92591), checks (92592-92593) and evaluations (92594-92595), Agemian says. Note: Medicare may not reimburse for some services, such as audiograms, without the patient first seeing the doctor, and never covers hearing-aid-related services (92590-92595). All audiology services must be ordered by the physician first. What the Benefits Are In a survey on the role of audiology technicians, many respondents "believe technicians can help reduce current appointment backlogs," says John T. Berardino, author, The Role of Audiology Technicians in the VA System.
Training the assistant to do hearing tests and ENGs "frees the audiologist to see more hearing aid patients," adds Edie Scully, Baton Rouge Ear, Nose & Throat in Louisiana. This extra time benefits the practice monetarily and provides the patient with faster service.
"The biggest benefit of using technicians is the salary difference between a tech and an audiologist, which is quite significant," Agemian says.
The American Association of Audiology (AAA) is sympathetic to the financial plight of otolaryngology practices and understands that "audiologists are using support personnel ... to ensure both the accessibility and the highest quality of audiology care while addressing productivity and cost-benefit concerns," according to an AAA position statement. Why a Tech Isn't an Audiologist Practices must understand that audiologists are highly qualified personnel. The Social Security Act establishes that a qualified audiologist is an individual with a master's or doctoral degree in audiology who:
A. is licensed as an audiologist by the state in which the individual furnishes such services; or
B. in the case of an individual who furnishes services in a state that does not license audiologists, has:
1. successfully completed 350 clock hours of supervised clinical practicum (or is in the process of accumulating such supervised clinical experience),
2. performed not less than nine months of supervised full-time audiology services after obtaining a master's or doctoral degree in audiology or a related field, and
3. successfully completed a national examination in audiology approved by the secretary. In comparison, technicians are not regulated by any federal statute. Instead, states may choose whether to recognize or regulate their services. Thirty-seven states now recognize support personnel, and 31 regulate conduct, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Regulation ranges from licensure to registration. Education requirements vary by state. The highest standards, such as New Mexico's, require a bachelor's degree [...]
